Lighting device



Sept. 18, 1934. H. E. roELLE LIGHTING DEVIOE Filed Jan.

Patented Sept. 18, 1934 PATENT OFFICE LIGHTING DEVICE Herbert E. To'elle, Milwaukee, Wis.,assignor to Milwaukee Gas Specialty Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application January 5, 1931, Serial No. 506,547

1 Claim.

Myv invention relates to lighting devices and contemplates an I improvement for guarding against the escape of unburned gas from the lighter such as will occur in the event that the pilot name is extinguished without closing eff the new of gas for maintaining such flame.

Lighting devices of the general type to which my invention relates are commonly employed for lighting the burners of gas stoves, ranges and the 1ike,hut it is te be understood that the 1ighter may be used for lighting other objects so far as my present invention is concerned.

More particularly my invention relates to the flash igniter type of lighter in which a restricted by-pass for the gas maintains a small pilot flame, and in which depression of an external button,

' manually, effects the flow of an increased amount of gas in order to project the llame to the burner or other object which it is desired to light.

Where vthe pilot of a device of this sort is extinguished'without closing ofl the flow of gas for maintaining such flame such as, for example, by lack of oxygen; a draft of air, or by liquid boiling over the sides of a vessel placed over a burner of the stove, range or the like, the escape of unburned gas is entailed.

The invention illustrated and described in my copending application, Serial No. 506,546, led of even date herewith, provides for automatically closing oir the hghter against the escape of unburned gas when the pilot flame is extinguished as above pointed out, and in its more specific aspects the invention illustrated and described in the copending application above referred to closes eff beth the restricted ley-pass new of gas for maintaining the small pilot ame and the increased gas flow for projecting or dashing the lighting flame to the burner or other object.

' My present invention provides for automatically closing off the lighter against the escape of unburned gas when the pilot ame is extinguished, as

above pointed out, and without closing olf the lighter against the increased gas flow for projecting or flashing the lighting ame when the 5 external button is manually manipulated.

My present invention further provides an additional relatively small tube for the restricted bypass ow of gas in combination with the usual 'lighting tube, and this additional relatively small by-pass tube may be disposed within or externally of the main lighter tube within the scope of my present invention.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view partially in side ele- (Cl. 15S-117.1)

vation of a lighter embodying my present invention; and

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partially in section showing another embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, the usual gas manifold is illustrated at 5,. The gas burners, not shown, may be fed from the manifold 5 in the usual manner well understood in the art.

The lighter which is provided in appropriate proximity to the burners usually centrally between the burners where there are a plurality of burners as -usual in a gas range, comprises a tube 6 leading from. the manifold 5 and terminating in a torchl head '7 appropriately disposed relative to the burners. A protecting hood 8 is mounted over the lighter tip 9 of the torch head upon a flanged perforated collar 10 supported upon the upstanding tip base 11 formed integral with the valve body 12, which valve body 12 is secured to 75 the adjacent end of the lighter tube 6 by a coupling 13, the joint being packed 'against4 leakage at 14. The collar 10 is clamped' in place upon the tip base 11 by a nut 15 and the hood 8 has four openings 16 in the circular side wall, each in 80 line with the respective burner, it being understood that the hood may have additional openings as and where desired, an opening through the top of the hood being illustrated at 17.

'I'he lighter tip 9 is threaded upon the tip base 11 and internally this tip is in open communication with the upper end of the passage 18 in the valve body 12, the wall of the tip 9 having four ports 19 directed radially in line with the centers of the openings 16. 90

At the end of the tube 6 near the manifold 5 the valve 20 is provided. rll'his valve 20 is of the type well known, which has a constant by-pass 21 adjustable by a valve screw 22 and which valve has a valve member 23 which when the button 24 is depressed opens from its seat 25 and effects the flow of a greatly increased quantity of gas through the cage 26,V ports 2'? land duct 28 to the torch head. The pilot flame 29 is maintained at the ports 19 of the tip 9 by the gas by-passed through the valve 20, and when a, burner is to be ignited its gas cock is opened and the button 24 is depressed to admit the flow of the greatly increased quantity of gas which causes the pilot flame to be projected or flashed radially outwardly through the openings 16 far enough to light, for example, the particular burner the gas cock of which has been opened.

The valve body l2 has a, valve cage 30 threaded therein, this cage 30 having an axial passage 31 110 communicating with the passage 18 through ports 32. The passage 31 is adapted to be closed by a valve member 33 on a stem 34 movable axially within the cage and provided at its outer end with a button 35. The cage 30 is packed around the stem 34 at 36 and a coiled spring 37 surrounds the stem 34 and is interposed between the packing 36 and the button 35, this spring by its expansive elfort upon the button tending at all times to close the Valve 33 to its seat, thereby closing o" the restricted by-pass flow of gas for maintaining the pilot flame 29.

A relatively small tube 38 leads from the bypass 21 to the interior of the opening 39 in which the valve cage 30 is mounted being preferably packed at 40 with this packing maintained under compression by a spring 41. The tube 38 opens to the lighter tip only by way of the passage 31 so that when the valve 33 is open the restricted pilot supply of gas passes to the pilot, whereas when the valve 33 is closed this restricted pilot supply is closed olf. The increased llame projecting or flashing supply of gas for the lighter constantly by-passes the valve 33 at 42 so that this supply is elfected by depression of thebutton 24 and regardless of whether the valve '33 is open or closed.

A thermal sensitive element in the form of a bi-metallic strip comprising two metal laminations of dilerent coefficients of expansion is` looped at 46 with the lower end of one depending side turned angularly at 47 and clamped upon the valve body 12 by the nut 15. The lower end of the opposite depending leg 48 of the thermal sensitive element 45 bears against the button 35 and when the pilot flame is burning the heat thereof warps the lower end of the leg 48 of the thermal sensitive element 45 against the button 35 sulciently to press the valve 33 to open position from its seat and to hold this valve in open position, as shown, constantly when the pilot llame 29 is burning, thereby admitting the restricted pilot maintaining supply of gas to the ports 19 to maintain the pilot llame burning.

In the event, however, that the pilot flame is extinguished as, for example, by lack of oxygen, a draft of air, or by liquid boiling over the sides of a vessel placed over a burner of the range, the drop in temperature upon the thermal sensitive element 45 by reason of the absence of the heat of the pilot flame results in warping of the 4. conveying the increased amount of gas for ashing the lighter is not closed olf or disabled so that by depressing the button 24 and applying a match to the torch head a ilashing or projected flame may be produced at the torch head with the valve 33 closed. Such a flame will quickly heat the thermal sensitive element sufficiently to warp the leg 48 in a direction to open the valve 33 and to retain this valve 33 open after the button 24 is released and constantly while the pilot flame 29 is burning.

Of course the pilot flame 29 may be relighted without depressing the button 24 by reaching in and pressing the button 35 to open the valve 33 and Vei'fect the flow of the restricted pilot supply of gas to the tip 9, the pilot supply of gas thereby set up from the ports 19 being adapted to be lighted to provide the pilot flame by applying a match to the tip. As a further alternative a match may be applied to the thermal sensitive element to heat the same suiiiciently` so that it will open the valve 33, the pilot llame being adapted to be simultaneously lighted by the presence of the match in position to heat the thermal sensitive element for this purpose.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 is similar to the embodiment of Figure 1 except that the relatively small restricted pilot supply tube 38' leading from the by-pass 21' of the valve 20 to thelighter tip through the passage 31' controlled by the valve 33' which is spring closed and thermostatically retained in open position when the pilot flame is burning, is disposed outside of' the lighter tube 6' instead of internally of this tube as in the rst embodiment. The manifold is indicated at 5', the torch head at 7', the torch head hood at 8', the depending valve actuating leg of the hermal sensitive element at 48', the pilot/su y valve body at the outer end of the light/er tube 6' at 12', thehood openings at 16', and the by-pass around the valve 33' for supplying the increased flashing or llame projecting quantity of gas to the torch head by depression of the button 24' and regardless of whether the valve 33' is open or closed is indicated at 42'.

The previous statements regarding the operation and adaptability of the embodiment of Figure 1 apply equally to the embodiment of Figure 2.

It is to be understood that the instant invention may be employed with the type of lighting device illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,747,015, issued February 11, 1930, in which a fixed pilot llame is maintained at-the torch head, there being means for conveying the gas from the respective burners to this pilot llame to light the respective burners by opening the gas cock associated therewith.

It is to be further understood that the instant invention may be employed with the type of flash lighter illustrated and described in the copending application of Oscar J Leins, Serial No. 449,854, led'MayS, 1930, in which the hood of the torch head is provided with .tubes directed toward the respective burners for assuring that the flash projections or lighting flames reach the desired lighting positions for the respective burners where a relatively high B. t. u. gas is employed.

In combination, a ltorch head, a thermally sensitive element secured thereto and extending below sa'id torch head, a valve body, a pair of parallel passageways in said body opening into a common passageway leading to said torch head, a valve plug in one of said parallel plassageways, a valve in said plug having an enlarged head portion projecting outwardly of said valve body and abutting against said thermally sensitive element, spring means urging said valve into closed position and maintaining said head portion against said thermally sensitive element, conduit means leading from said valve body to a gas supply mani- \fold, means within said conduit for conducting a restricted quantity of gas from said manifold to said valved passageway, and valve means for controlling ow of gas through said conduit means to said parallel open passageway.

HERBERT E. TOELLE. 

